Document-file.



Patented Nov. ll, I902. F. TRAMBLAY.

DOCUMENT FILE.

ation filed 3311.27, 1902.,

No. 7l3,363.

(Applic (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX TRAMBLAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOCUM ENT-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,363, dated November 11, 1902.

Application filed January 27,1902. Serial No. 91,378. (No model.)

To all whom, it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX TRAMBLAY, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Document-Files; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of files commonly known as document-files, and refers more specifically to a construction designed to facilitate the folding or collapsing of such files for convenience in transportation and storage and also to improvements in the connection of the followerboard with the base-board, between which follower-board and the headboard of the file the documents are placed.

The invention consists in the matters here inafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a file made in accordance with myinvention, showing the same in position to receive documents therein. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the file when collapsed or folded. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the collapsed file. Fig. 6 is anenlarged detail of the means for detachably fastening the guards or braces to the headboard.

As shown in said drawings, A designates the base-board of the file, and B the headboard, provided with the usual handle B Said headboard is hinged to the base-board by means of ordinary butt-hinges b b, which are set into recesses in the head and base boards, so that the headboard will fold flat on the base-board. The contacting ends of the head and base boards are shown as mitered or beveled to afford a stop for the headboard when the latter is in its upright position.

C designates a followerboard, between which and the headboard the documents to be filed are placed. Said follower-board has detachable connection with the base-board and slides longitudinally thereon. For this purpose said follower-board is provided with an upright post C, which is engaged at its lower end with an undercut longitudinallyarranged track or way D, attached to the base-board centrally thereof. Said track D consists, as herein shown, of a single strip of sheet metal, which is set into a suitable longitudinal recess in the base-board and is folded upwardly at its side margins to provide inwardly-directed flanges 01 parallel with the main web or body of the track and between which flanges and said web are formed parallel undercut grooves. The post C, which is preferably made of sheet metal, is provided at its lower end with laterally-directed basefianges c, which enter the undercut grooves of the track and slide therein. Said baseflanges c of the post are elongated longitudinally of the track to give ample bearing between said flanges and the track, and said flanges are braced from the body of the post by integral ribs 0. (Shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 1.) Desirably said follower-board is pivotally or loosely connected with the post, so as to allow the follower-board to adjust itself to the rear sur face of a bundle of papers of unequal thickness at its ends independently of the adjustment of the post. As herein shown, said post is for this purpose provided at its side margins with forwardly-directed flanges c and the follower-board is provided on its rear surface with a transverse plate C having a pivot-lug 0 located between and overlapping the lugs of the post, and through said overlapping lugs extends a pivot-pin 0 The lower end of the follower-board is provided with a notch 0 adapted to receive the braces of the post 0' when the follower-board is in its upright position.

The flanges c, occupying the undercutlaterally-separated grooves of the track, constitute, in effect, a friction-lock for the post, which in the ordinary use of the file prevents the post and the follower-board from accidently sliding outwardly toward the outer end of the base-board when the space between said follower-board and head is filled with documents. This is due to the fact that the outward pressure of the bundle of papers on the post is exerted above the lower flanged end or foot thereof, so that said pressure has a tendency to throw the upward end of the post inwardly and cause the flanges c to bind against the engaging surfaces of the track.

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Moreover, this construction enables the follower-board to be placed or slid tightly against a bundle of papers in the file and to be automatically locked against said papers, it beingobvious that when the follower-board is pressed tightly up against the bundle of papers the pressure of said bundle at the upper end of the post 0' acts to bind the foot-flanges against the track and to thereby lock the parts in place in the manner before stated. The follower and its post are shifted inwardly and outwardly in the track by applying pressure to the board or the post near the foot of said post, as pressure applied at this point acts substantially in line with the track or way and obviates the binding of the post-flanges against the track.

The inner end of said track is herein shown as closed by turning the central or web porlion of the track upwardly in the mannerindicated in Fig. 2, and the flanged foot of the post isinserted in said track through an opening formed at the outer end of the track adjacent to the headboard B by cutting away the flanges cl, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This construction prevents accidental detachment of the follower-board from the baseboard when the file is filled or partially filled and permits said follower-board to be readily removed by shifting the same outwardly.

against the headboard when the file is empty.

The base-board is supported in its upright position by means of two bracesE E, located one at each side of the file and constituting when raised guards to confine the documents in said file. Said braces orguards consist of upper horizontal parallel parts which are located over and parallel with the base-board, as shown, and are detachably connected at their outer end with the headboard and have hinged connections at their inner ends with the base board. Said inner ends of the guards or braces are shown as turned downwardly, and said downturned ends are hinged at their lower ends to lugs F, rising from the opposite margins of the inner end of the baseboard. Said lugs, as herein shown, are formed on a transverse strip or bar F, which extends across the rear end of the base-board and extends at its central portion beneath the track, said strip or bar being attached to the upper face of the base-board and flush therewith by screws or like means, as shown in Fig. 1. The hinged connections between said lugs F and the depending parts of the guards or braces E consist, as herein shown, of slots 6, formed in the lower ends of said depending portions of the guards, through which the upper ends of the lugs F are extended, said lugs being folded to form pivot or hinge loops for the guards, whereby the guards may be swung laterally toward and from the center of the board. The construction of the hinge between said parts may obviously be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention. Y

The means for detachably connecting the forward or outer ends of the guards with the headboard consists in this instance of inwardly-directed projections E on the outer ends of the guards, which are provided with slots 6, through which extend attaching-bolts e having the form of hook-bolts. The hooks e of said bolts are made short enough to pass through the slots when turned parallel therewith; but when turned downwardly at right angles to the slots prevent disengagement of the guards from the headboard. In assembling the parts the bolts may be first inserted into the headboard, and when the guards are attached to said headboard the bolts are turned to bring the hooks parallel with said slots, so that said projections E may slip thereover. Aftertheguardsare broughtinto place the hooked ends of the bolts are turned downwardly in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The headboard is provided in its inner face with short grooves which receive the folded parts of the guards and against the ends of which grooves the ends of the folded part-s E of the guards rest when the file is set up, said grooved ends preventing the guards shifting inwardly. The bolts engage the inner ends of the slots in said folded parts of the guards, so that said guards are held from movement between the bolts and the ends of the grooves.

When the file is to be collapsed or knocked down, the follower-board and its post are removed from the base-board in the manner before described, the guards detached fromthe headboard and swung slightly outwardly to permit the headboard to be folded down flat on the base-board between the guards, after which said guards are folded over the headboard in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5. One of the lugs F, to which the guards are pivoted, is made slightly longer than the other lug, so that the guard connected therewith, which is the last to be folded, may fold over the guard first folded or swung inwardly and lie fiat thereon. Before the parts are folded in the manner described the attaching-screws may be removed from the headboard. It will be understood that said parts are knocked down for the purpose of shipment or storage and that when once set up there will belittle or no occasion for again collapsing the file.

It will be obvious that the structural details may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to such details except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A document-file comprisingabase-board, a headboard, means connecting said base and head boards whereby the headboard may be folded flat on the base-board, guards or braces which are removably connected at their forward ends to the headboard, and means for hinging the rear ends of said guards or braces to the base-board to swing toward and away from the base-board.

2. A document-file comprising a base-board,

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a headboard hinged thereto, guards or braces connected with the base-board in a manner to fold inwardly over the same, and means for removably connecting said guards or braces with the headboard.

3. A document-file comprising a base-board, a headboard hinged thereto, guards or braces hinged at their rear ends to the base-board in a manner to fold laterally over the baseboard and each other, and means for removably connecting said guards or braces with the headboard.

4. A document-file comprising a base-board, a headboard hinged thereto, guards orbraces which are removably connected at their forward ends with the headboard and are bent downwardly at their rear ends, and means for hinging said downwardly-turned rear ends of the braces or guards to the base-board to swing toward and away from the base-board.

5. Adocunient-file comprisinga base-board, a headboard hinged thereto, guards or braces provided at their front ends with means for removably connecting the same with the headboard and provided at their rear ends with downturned portions, and lugs projecting upwardly from the said base-board to which said rear ends of the guards or braces are hinged.

6. A document-file comprisinga base-board, a headboard connected at its margin therewith in a manner to fold flat on the baseboard, guards or braces connected at their inner ends with the base-board in a manner to fold inwardly over the base-board, said guards or braces engaging inwardly-facing surfaces on the headboard, and means for removably connecting said guards or braces with the headboard, said connecting means acting to lock the guards or braces from lateral shitting on said base-board.

7. Adocument-file comprisingabase-board, a headboard connected therewith in a manner to fold flat on the base-board, guards or braces hinged at their rear ends to the baseboard and designed to fold laterally over the base-board, said guards or braces being provided at their front ends with inwardlyturned parts, and screw bolts extending through said inwardly-turned parts and into the headboard.

8. Adocument-file eomprisingabase-board, a headboard connected therewith in a manner to fold flat on the base-board, guards or braces hinged at their rear ends to the baseboard to fold laterally toward each other over the base-board, said guards or braces being provided at their forward ends with inwardlyturned slotted parts, and hook-bolts extending through the slots of said inwardly-turned parts and into the headboard.

9. Adocument-filecomprisingabase-board, a headboard connected therewith in a manner to fold flat on the base-board, guards or braces hinged at their rear ends to the base-board to fold laterally over the base-board, said guards or braces being provided at their forward ends with inwardly-turned slotted parts, and hookbolts extending through the slots of said inwardly-turned parts and into the headboard, said headboard being provided with grooves the ends of which are engaged by the inner ends of said inwardly-turned .parts of the braces or guards.

10. A document-file comprising a baseboard, a headboard hinged thereto, said base and head boards being beveled at their hinged margins to form a stop for the headboard when in an upright position, guards or braces hinged at their rear ends to the base-board and means for removably connecting said guards or braces with the headboard.

11. A document-file comprising a baseboard, a headboard connected therewith in a manner to fold flat over the base-board, guards or braces which are removably secured at their forward ends to the headboard and are provided at their rear ends with downturned portions, a strap or bar extending transversely across the base-board and provided at its ends with upturned or lug portions, and hinged connections between said lugs and the downturned portions of the guards or braces.

12. The combination with the base-board of a file and a longitudinally-arranged track in the top face thereof provided with parallel longitudinal undercut grooves, of a followerboard and a post therefor comprising a rigid metal bar provided at its side margins with vertically-disposed foot-flanges and said footflanges being provided with horizontally-disposed flanges which have sliding engagement with the undercut grooves of the track, forwardly-directed lugs on the side margins of said bar, a plate attached to the followerboard which is provided with lugs which overlap the post-lugs, and a pivot-bolt extending through apertures in said overlapping lugs.

13. The combination of a document-file comprising a base-board and a headboard and a sheet-metal track arranged longitudinally of the base-board, said track comprising a bottom wall and marginal flanges which are folded upwardly and inwardly to form undercut grooves in the track, of a follower-post provided at its lower end with laterally-directed flanges adapted to engage the undercut grooves of the track, the rear end of said bottom wall of the track being folded upwardly to close the rear end of the track and the inwardly-directed flanges of the track being discontinued at the front end thereof adjacent to the headboard to permit ingress and egress of the follower-board post.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of January, A. D. 1902.

FELIX TRAMBLAY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, GERTRUDE BRYCE. 

